ARTICLES ABOUT AIRPORT BY DATE - PAGE 2

For the first time in 17 years, Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport has a federally approved master plan that includes a new security checkpoint, more baggage carousels, improved plane taxiways and possibly a new runway. The Federal Aviation Administration recently signed off last week on the plan, which has been in development since 2009, Airport Executive Director Ken Spirito said on Tuesday. "We haven't had an updated plan in place since 1997," he added. The airport, which straddles Newport News and York County, needed the plan in place in order to qualify for federal funds to cover maintenance, upgrades and renovation projects over the next 20 years.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe will be at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport on May 30 to help launch People Express Airlines. Airport officials sent out invitations on Friday for the event, which takes place at 9 a.m. in Concourse A. People Express President and CEO Jeff Erickson said the initial destinations, flight schedule and ticket prices will be announced at the event. "It will all be part of the deal," he said. The service will help fill a void for business and leisure travelers, who previously relied on low-cost flights from Newport News on AirTran Airlines, said Newport News Development Director Florence Kingston.

The Peninsula Airport Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a $7.45 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year at Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport. The budget is about $278,000 smaller than the current spending plan. "Basically this budget has been adjusted to reflect our declining passenger numbers," said Renee Ford, director of finance and administration. Ford said the budget anticipates about 5.4 percent less revenue than 2014, and expenditures were cut by 3.6 percent.

Airport Director of Finance and Administration Renee Ford provided a quick overview of the proposed $7.45 million budget, which is about $278,000 smaller than the 2014 projected budget. Both revenues and expenses are expected to be lower than 2014. Ford said airport officials project a total net revenue of $95,777 at the end of FY2014, but plan on less than half that revenue in 2015. The airport's passenger counts have continued to decline since AirTran left in 2012. Currently Frontier, Allegiant, Delta and US Airways/American Airlines serve the airport off Jefferson Avenue.

Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport is not alone in seeing a drop in passengers. Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne on Thursday told the Peninsula Airport Commission the problem has affected every airport in the state, with the exception of Ronald Reagan Airport in the Washington, D.C. area. Layne, who spoke at the commission's monthly meeting, said passenger numbers were flat at Reagan, but even Dulles International, the commonwealth's major airport, was suffering.

Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport is not alone in seeing a drop in passengers. Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne on Thursday told the Peninsula Airport Commission the problem has affected every airport in the state, with the exception of Ronald Reagan Airport in the Washington, D.C. area. Layne, who spoke at the commission's monthly meeting, said passenger numbers were flat at Reagan, but even Dulles International, the commonwealth's major airport, was suffering.

Transportation industry analysts report an uptick in travel and predict that trend will continue through May. John Heimlich, chief economist and vice president of the trade organization Airlines for America, said the industry anticipates 129.5 million passengers in the skies from March 1 through April 30, up 6 million from Spring 2009. In 2013, about 128.2 million passengers traveled by air, and in 2012, the total was close to 128.4 million. The estimated increase from 2013 to 2014 is the greatest since 2012, which was up 1.6 million over the prior year.

People Express Airlines, the fledgling low-cost passenger airline based in Newport News, has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation for two slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The application, dated March 14, was submitted by Michael Morisi, founder and former president of the company. The airline proposes daily flights to and from the airport to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Palm Beach, Fla. The application notes that no airline using Reagan National Airport provides direct flights to Myrtle Beach, and only one airline serves Palm Beach.